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The Social Classes
The social classes of Brøndhavn-Llyn are a rigid and defineable way of identifying the 'us' and the 'them' between the different citizens. Nobility look down on merchants, the Merchants take pains to be distanced from the traders. The slum dwellers define their superiority by who can afford to paint their house rather than use whitewash. At times the space between the levels is wafer thin, but everyone likes to think they know their proper place - and more importantly the place of others. The Classes Within the City Royalty An antiquated class and a mouldering line. No longer in power, the Nobility and the merchant princes are in actual control of the city no matter what anyone says. The Clergies A number of hierarchical structures exist within the devoted of Brondhavn-Lyn but some are far better organised and funded than others. The archpriests of the more influential cults garner respect and wealth to rival even the nobility but many others moonlight as crooks and prostitutes, being no more privileged than the next desperate citizen. Nobility The true weight of power sits on the shoulders of the council of plumes. These hereditary gentry claim their authority from their bloodlines. Each family title usually comes with it's own mansion and lands but not necessarily a fortune. just maintaining a facade of nobility can ruin a family and some Nobles find themselves impoverished either in the slums or the debtors prison. Common titles include (Order Highest to Lowest Rank): * Archduke - A rare title nowadays, it's a throwback to when the city had wider territories and a standing army. Their title makes them important and comes with at least two automatic seats on the first circle of the council. The Archdukes of the City are in control of it's treasury and Laws. * Duke - Usually in possession of a great deal of land or a commanding hold on Trade routes or foreign territory. Dukes are rarer in these days where the territories are shrinking back to the city walls. Dukes make up much of the second circle of the council however they are feeling threatened by the Merchant Princes who are able to buy their way into the circle. * Yeorninggrave - Unique to the area, any noble holding a sizable estate on the Yeorning River is referred to as a Yeorninggrave. Traditionally it is a rank on the same social standing as a count but in recent years their ability to maintain their estates beyond the walls has put them above a Count in status. Though they have lands and houses along the river, most live exclusively within the walls of the city. * Count - A Mid-level Lord, sometimes a Bureaucrat in the halls of power. Sitting comfortably between the scrapping lower-lords and the High nobility, the Counts are most likely to have a comfortable, if not terribly extravagant situation. * Lord - The most common title in the city, in fairer days this title was sometimes awarded for great services rendered to the city's rulers and therefore there are many small lordships all interconnected in a surprisingly incestuous tangle. * Knight - usually subordinate to a Lord, often poorer than the merchants, This title was given out freely by some of the more unthinking rulers and the title alone is often what keeps these families in the realms of the nobility where your name is far more important than your fortune. The Upper Classes If the Nobility have the tradition, it is the Upper Class who have the money. With Brøndhavn-Llyn's port connections the merchants with their fleets of trading ships and the Thieves with their bribes are the true money purse of the city. Nowadays the coffers of the city would be almost entirely empty without the aid from these 'benefactors' many of whom buy titles and positions on the council. These bought seats are quickly threatening to push out the hereditary titles from the two inner circles of the council and the Merchants who sit on the councils inner circles are usually referred to as the Merchant Princes. The Merchants and the Merchant Princes are often thought off by the Nobility as Gouache or coarse. Their new money and unwillingness to be bound by tradition in the pursuit of profit has made them a necessary evil but not quite accepted within the stayed nobility. The Thief Queens - the shadowy criminal lords of the city, often as rich as the merchants they handle the shadier side of Trade and protection racket. Notable among them is the Lady of Cinders. The Middle Class The Middle classes of Brøndhavn-Llyn usually represent the parts of society who can afford to live. They may rent or own houses and own their own businesses. It's rare to be truly comfortable in Brøndhavn-Llyn but these people are certainly not doing badly. Traders - Merchants within the city, owners of shops, Backsmiths, Tavern Landlords and Ladies, etc. the middle businessmen of the city. Brothel Owners and Entertainment Barons- An odd example of the middle class in the city; these people are middle-class in terms of their buisnesses or wealth (Some may even manage to be quite well off and even famous in their own right) however their unsavory professions mean that even the middle class would treat them as the dregs of society. The Lower Class Workers, Laborers, servants and farmers. The lower class are usually tenants or apprentices. Perhaps living in work dormitories or tenement housing. Often scraping by or just managing the Lower class are entrenched in their own social class system where the difference between respect and ridicule might be that you paint your brickwork rather than using whitewash. Actors and Prostitutes - Often lumped together, these cheap providers of entertainment are seen as an salubrious occupation and untrustworthy group regardless of their economic standing. Most outside of their circles would not associate with them and even the lower classes who most frequent their places of work treat them as below them. The Slum residents. Transients, thieves, beggars and abandonments. The lifespan of these poor creatures is often measured in days or even hours. The Slums are cutthroat and mean and so are these people, or else they are exploited by the others. Some may band together for survival but many are ruthless and vicious loners. Those who do not wish to try to manage alone may go to the workhouse district - a cauldron of despair that may feed you or even pay you a pittance for your labor in their unpleasant industries. Some think it's better than the streets. The Unfree Endentured servants, Prisoners, Slaves. The unfree are not in ownership of their lives or freedom for one reason or another. Becoming unfree is sometimes seen as a way out of Dept that avoids the Debtors Prison. The Outsiders The People beyond the walls are generally considered to be outside of Brøndhavn-Llyn's social structure. Either ignored entirely or considered to be extremely lower class the outsiders are treated with a mixture of Fear, Fascination and repugnance.